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It can be very intimidating to give a presentation. However,
if you have prepared well and practised, then you should
feel confident; most audiences are on your side - they are
interested in what you have to say.

Here are some very basic tips that you might help you:

Position: Stay in full view of your audience.
They will want to divide their attention between you and
your slides. A lectern can sometimes act as a barrier between
you and the audience and so get out from behind it whenever
possible.

Posture: Hands in pockets or arms folded
across the chest or hands on hips tend to have negative
overtones in most cultures, and so a relaxed, upright posture
with arms straight and relaxed at your sides is best.

Movement: You do not have to stand absolutely
still; indeed some movement is natural. However avoid rhythmical
pacing up and down, or repeated shift of weight or footing.

Eye contact: It is important to make
eye contact with the audience. Staring at your notes
makes you look uncertain of what you are saying. Staring
at the back of the room makes you look disinterested
or aloof. Also avoid making eye contact with the same
person all the time – they may start to feel uncomfortable!

Voice: You need to be heard by the person
at the back of the room. If a lapel microphone is available,
you should use it. Not only does it enable you to talk
at a normal volume, but it will often be linked into a
system to help those with hearing difficulties.

Pace: You are likely to be nervous.
This is good; it can give an edge to your talk that will
generate interest from the audience. However it can make
you talk faster than normal. You need to consciously
speak at a normal pace. Don’t be afraid to pause during
your delivery, particularly before or after an important
point.

Variety: A monotonous delivery can make
even the most interesting content seem boring. One of the
prime advantages a presentation has over the written text
is that you can introduce variety in your voice. Changes
in volume or pitch to emphasise particular points can be
very effective.

Enthusiasm: It will be difficult for
an audience to be enthusiastic about your presentation
if you are not. You will undoubtedly have a natural enthusiasm
for the work you are involved in, so don’t hide it!